10 Unique Birthday Cake Ideas

August 7, 2022

Aimee

by Aimee

When the occasion calls for something truly special! Ten unique birthday cake ideas that are loved by people of all ages.

Yesterday, I began building my birthday cake. In the coolness of our basement, working on the chest freezer for its practical proximity, I pressed ice cream into pans. A cookie crust, then vanilla, chocolate, and cookie dough.

Once the layers were assembled, I completely covered the cake in a half-inch of whipped cream. It insulates the cake, as well as protects the ice cream from freezer odours.

When the ice cream layer cake is finished, it will tower over a foot tall and require a hot chef’s knife to slice. It’s certainly not a traditional birthday cake, but I tend to buck tradition around here.

My kids have never been predictable when it came to cake or their birthday dessert. While most kids love a classic chocolate layer cake with chocolate frosting, mine have always thought outside the box.

In the past decade, I’ve lit birthday candles atop a four-tier strawberry shortcake, a towering Croquembouche, a stack of doughnuts and a mountain of meringues. It’s a challenge I’ve enjoyed tackling each year!

Inspired by birthday requests of years gone by, and my upcoming celebration, here are 10 unique birthday cake ideas that we’ve absolutely loved. Birthdays comes but once a year; let’s celebrate them to the fullest.

10 Unique Birthday Cake Ideas

1. Meringue-Topped, Layered Ice Cream Birthday Cake

Make it for: your tween/teen, and all the teens on the street!

My Layered Ice Cream Cake serves a crowd and can be made in advance, two ideal qualities in a birthday cake. My birthday is still a few weeks away, but I can relax knowing that I have a crowd-pleasing cake all ready to be sliced up, thanks to my efforts last night!

In case it wasn’t clear, this is a semi-homemade cake, using all store-bought ice cream. I do make the meringues though, using this mini meringue recipe.

Get the Recipe: Ice Cream Cake

2. Doughnut Hole Tower Cake

Make it for: your six-year-old Timbit-obsessed nephew

Homemade doughnuts are the ultimate winter birthday treat around here. I’ve served them up to a group of ice skating boys on our frozen lake, and watched them disappear in a twinkling.

Nothing is more desirable that the doughnut holes, coated in cinnamon sugar or dipped in a chocolate glaze. Stack them as high as you can and add a candle to the top for a memorable birthday cake tower.

Use my recipe for Best Doughnuts, and reserve the holes. Assemble while the (vanilla/chocolate/maple) glaze is still warm and they will adhere together enough to stack 4-5 high.

3. Rhubarb Carrot Cake with Vanilla Mascarpone Frosting

Make it for: your book club friend (or anyone carrot cake obsessed)

A lightly spiced rhubarb carrot cake recipe with a creamy, dreamy frosting.

Get the recipe: Rhubarb Carrot Cake

4. Victoria Sponge Cake with Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Make it for: your mother, as part of an elaborate tea party

This light-as-a-feather vanilla-orange cake truly dazzles. It’s layered with whipped cream and a tangy homemade jam for a perfect teatime accompaniment.

Get the recipe: Victoria Sponge

5. Chocolate Icebox Number Cake

Make it for: That double-digit — or any milestone birthday

Here’s a FUN kitchen project! It’s visually stunning and can be adapted for any birthday number. A modern take on a nostalgic favourite.

Get the recipe: Icebox Number Cake

6. Apple Cider Gingerbread Bundt Cake

Make it for: Grandpa – or any fall birthday

Ah, the beautiful bundt! If you love the lightness of an apple cake and the deep flavours of a gingerbread, then you’ll appreciate that this bundt has the best of both.

Get the recipe: Apple Cider Gingerbread Bundt

7. Yogurt Sheet Cake with Seasonal Fruits

Make it for: the co-worker/office birthday. It’s super easy, and looks like you slaved away for hours.

Trust me, anyone can decorate this sheet cake. It features a simple pour-over frosting that is the base for your fresh fruit decoration. Pictured here is the citrus edition, and here is the version with summer berries.

Get the Recipe: Yogurt Sheet Cake

8. Lemon Berry Stripe Cake

Make it for: your Besties, along with a chilled bottle of champagne.

No kids allowed at this party! Here’s my most elegant cake, a light-as-a-feather lemon sponge, layered (vertically!) with a decadent berry buttercream and adorned with wildflowers.

Get the Recipe: Lemon Berry Stripe Cake

9. Maple Multigrain Waffle Cake with Cinnamon Syrup Drizzle

Make it for: Baby’s First Birthday!

Here’s a unique birthday cake idea that has way less sugar than an actual cake. Bring it out after brunch on baby’s first birthday and watch it steal the show!

Get the recipe: Waffle Cake

10. Wild Blueberry Slab Cheesecake

Make it for: Dad/hubby. He much prefers cheesecake to cake, anyway.

Summer cheesecakes, whether they are fruit-topped, jam-swirled or bathed in coulis, are a decadent way to showcase seasonal fruits and berries. This dessert features a quick homemade wild blueberry jam, swirled it into a creamy, vanilla New York-style cheesecake. Perfection.

Get the recipe: Blueberry Cheesecake